Differences
by Armyx
Summary: It doesn't matter what happened. That's the past. As two identical brothers head into school with completely different ideals, they begin to realise that it's the similarities that form rivalries, not the differences. DISCONTINUED


_**Hey guys! Armyx here and this is my second fanfic, and first alternate reality one! I'm entering a realm which is foreign to me, that is, romance/drama, so PLEASE bear with me. Read a few recently and I thought 'Hey, that looks good. I should try this'. And here I am. Read, review and enjoy!**_

_**PS: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Yeah, I know I need a disclaimer. Hopefully I'll be able to make this a bit more interesting later… *brings out phone and dials a number* Hey Ven, I need someone to be here at the end, can you get here in time? *someone mumbles on the other end of the line* Thanks man *closes phone* Alright, I should really plan ahead next time…**_

_**Anyway, you've either skipped ahead, or read all that, so I'll stop the nonsense and say ON WITH THE SHOW!**_

Chapter 1- Beginnings

_Ven's POV_

As I get on the bus, I suddenly feel really nervous. This is my first day at Kingdom High (Weird name, huh? I never really got why it was called that, but hey?). Luckily, my older and nearly identical brother Roxas pushes me on. As I go to take a seat, I can feel all these eyes settling on me. They're sizing me up, seeing what I do. I take a seat near the front by myself and try to get away from it all. I plug my ipod in and start listening to some music. I never really conformed to the needs of other people, and I planned on staying that way. High school wasn't going to change me. I pulled up my green hoodie over my head and let the music take me away.

The bus ride didn't go long. We were soon at school. I wondered why I even took the bus. I mean, we live about a 10 minute jog from here. _Note to self: learn fastest route to school on foot. _As the bus stopped, I stayed seated, looking at the people who had just earlier sized me up. I needed to see who they were. I'm generally an upbeat guy, but I don't really know anyone here, so I'm being a little bit drawn back. I don't want to draw attention to myself, but having my elder brother, you know that's not going to happen.

My brother isn't that bad, but he's one of the popular kids, whereas I'm more of an outsider. Although we look almost identical, we're almost polar opposites. He's cool, I'm nerdy, he's the centre of attention, I'm not, you get the idea. But that's not saying being his brother is a bad thing. I feel that by being his brother, I could affect his reputation, and as much as I don't care about mine, I'm not about to bring him down with me. He couldn't cope.

Well, school wouldn't be school without classes, and my first one was Science. Our teacher, Professor Even, seemed like a nice enough guy, but he did have a chilly side, as was shown when a goofball called Sora mucked around in class. His stare was so icy that I felt the temperature of the room go down a few degrees. As I looked around while he was giving us a lecture on physics, I heard someone calling me. "Hey! You! In the green hoodie!" I turned and searched for the mysterious voice, but it's source was nowhere to be found. I decided to let it go. It must've just been my imagination.

The next few classes breezed by and lunch fever was now upon the school. All the gossip of the last weekend was coming out of mouths and into ears. I never was much of a gossiper, as I was always outside the loop, but I never minded listening in. I just grabbed my lunch, sat down at an empty table and started eating. I plugged my music in and let it take me away. So I was very surprised when someone decided to sit next to me. My hood wasn't up, so I looked like a smaller, different coloured version of Roxas. My first thought was 'Great. Someone's got the wrong guy'. I turned and looked at this mystery person. She had blue hair, blue eyes and wore a blue tank top with some long jeans. She saw me looking at her and smiled.

"Hi."

I was stunned. I had never really spoken to any girls before. In primary school, I had always just hung around, speaking with everybody but nobody at the same time. I never really made any close friends. Just a few people here and there. So I was completely unsure how to react.

"Uh… hey" was the best I could come up with. Idiot. Numbskull. I could have come up with one hundred witty lines, and the best I can do is 'hey'? Why am I such a social moron? Guess I may not have my brother's social skills

"I see you're new here. I'm Aqua" she said to me. "Nice to meet you" She was so sincere with her thoughts, as she extended out her hand.

Uncertain of what to do next, I did the only polite thing to do. I extended my hand and shook hers. "Ventus. But I'm normally called Ven."

"So you must be Roxas' brother, right? You two look so alike." Great. Another girl trying to get to Roxas through me.

"Yeah, I guess we do" I replied. Trying to take my mind of my recent unwanted thoughts, I turned and asked "When did you move here?"

Unhindered, she shrugged her shoulders and kept my eye contact. "I came here last year, and started fresh. But I made a few friends, and I feel pretty good. And here comes one of them now." I look up and see this giant guy walking up to us. He's huge. And not just because I'm small. He's _REALLY _big. He towers over almost everyone there. His long brown hair goes down to his shoulders and spikes all over the place. He's wearing a black t-shirt, some grey track pants and a brown unzipped leather jacket. I instantly pick up that he's one of the more athletic kids around. He commands an immediate respect towards himself, like an aura of confidence is surrounding him. I begin to squirm and shiver in my seat, as he comes and sits next to me.

"Hey Aqua, who's the little pipsqueak you're talking to?" he says as he smiles at her.

"This is Ven. He's new here, so why don't you introduce yourself?"

"I'm Terra, kid. Nice to meet you" He speaks with the same sincerity she does. Maybe that's why they're friends. But I still don't trust them both yet. Not completely. I've been duped before, and I'm not about to let it happen again. As I continue to eat my lunch, they speak to one another, almost completely oblivious to me. I like that feeling, as if you're just another part of the wind, whistling by.

Suddenly, Terra turns to me and goes "So kid, you play any kind of sport?" I did play a bit of sport, but I wasn't ready to admit that.

"Oh, I play a bit of this, and a bit of that" I replied, not giving too much away. They seemed nice enough, and maybe they weren't as bad as others I've been with. Maybe they were sincerely trying to make friends with me.

"So, wanna come round to the park on Thursday? Aqua and I were just gonna go by ourselves, but it'd be cool to have you along, Ven. You seem like a nice enough kid" Terra said. His blatant honesty surprised me. I… seemed like a nice kid?

"Uh, sure. I'll see what I can do" was my reply. I was nervous. Who had ever asked me to go be with them before?

"Awesome! See you there, Ven!" Aqua exclaimed, and ran off to go and join her friends.

Terra watched her run off. "I'll see you round, kid" He smiled and walked off. Well, I had something to think about. Someone came up to me and spoke to me, sincerely! Like I wasn't just Roxas' brother! As the bell rang, I was really getting excited about this school.

My last class for the day was Maths. Being new, I was introduced, and took my seat next to this tall gangly, kid with dirty blonde curly hair. As Professor Ienzo, who was barely old enough to have finished school, taught us the new topic, the kid next to me turned and saw my struggling expression. "You okay, mate?" he said, in an accent which wasn't from around here. "Ven, right?"

"Yeah. I'm Ven" introducing myself immediately. Strange… I wasn't normally this open.

"Alex, but my friends call me Army" the boy replied. "So, you need some help? This is pretty difficult stuff."

"Yeah, okay, sure." This boy seemed nice enough, as well. "So, when did you get here? At the school, I mean." I asked him

"Oh. I'm on a student exchange program. All my friends are back home. I still keep in touch, but, you know. It's hard. You?" he replied, seemingly sore at these facts.

"I just got here today" It was nice, seeing someone who was in exactly the same position as I was. Although his was only temporary, and mine was permanent. As he explained the problem to me in terms I could understand, I started thinking about this kid. He's nice. But class ended too soon. I wanted to spend more time with this kid.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Ven" he said as he smiled and walked off. He didn't seem to have too many friends here either. I decided to run after this tall, gangly kid, who may nearly be as tall as Terra.

"Wait up!" I called, and he spun and looked at me confused. I held up my hand as I panted, tired after chasing him through the corridors. When I finished, I looked up at him and smiled. "You and me. We're gonna be friends. Got it?" He smiled back and nodded, and continued to walk off.

As I walked back to the bus stop, I felt pretty good. I had met three new people, and all of them seemed nice enough. Maybe going here wouldn't be so bad. I got back on that bus a different person, and I was surprised when my big brother Roxas, of all people, sat next to me. I took out my headphones and looked at him. "So, Ven" he said, looking me in the eye. "How was your day?"

_Roxas' POV_

Getting back on that bus, was like seeing an old friend for the first time in a long time. And it had only been three days. I loved the attention you got. I thrived off of it. And I really hoped that having my younger brother Ven here wasn't going to spoil it all. And it was all because he looked exactly like me.

I don't mean any disrespect to Ven, but we're polar opposites. He never cared much for attention, and I did. Not to say he hasn't been as successful, but I'm just the more social one. He never wanted to get out of the crowd, and I was always itching to get out of it, and stand out. And I've been rewarded with respect from my peers. I'm not the king of the school, that's Riku's job. I was never cut out from leader material.

I seem to be a member of the 'popular' seniors group. Girls seem to swoon at the thought of me. And when I enter a room it gets worse. All the girls seem to think that I'm hot, and they want me for a boyfriend. But I never really cared much. I just want to hang out with my friends.

But I'm not saying I didn't like the attention. But it made me feel special, a cut above the rest. I don't want to appear superficial, but I feel, that to Ven, that's all I am. Eye candy for the girls. And sometimes, to some extent, I sometimes feel that way about myself as well.

But it was great to see Xion and Namine on the bus. I've been friends with them ever since primary school. They, like Ven and I, were almost polar opposites, but they weren't related at all- Xion was loud, but only around me, otherwise she was quiet. She was a music lover, like Ven, and she loved to jam out to pop, rock, anything: whatever was playing, she knew it. She wore black, and it suited her raven hair. She was always different around me for some reason… I continue to wonder why

Namine, on the other hand, always had her sketchpad in her hands, along with some coloured pencils. She was an amazing artist, and a great person, but she seemed to hide it all behind her smile and platinum blonde hair. No one knew her as well as we did, or at least, we thought. Now that Ven's coming to school here, it's strange that I now realise they've never met.

Then there's our goofball cousin Sora. Ven's never wanted to be related to him, but that's it. Sora's loud, obnoxious, moronic, but he's family… unfortunately. His twin brother, Vanitas, has always seemed to have it in for Ven, and so Ven distanced himself… I sometimes feel that the only person Ven fully trusts is himself.

Sora hangs out a lot with Kairi, another member of the popular group. She's what you'd call the 'Queen' of the school. Popular, talented and cute, Kairi is loved by everybody. I can't remember the last time she fought with someone. She and Riku rule the school, or at least the student body.

Kairi is good friends with Olette, a strange girl. She's nice, but very outspoken. She's lucky to have friends like Hayner and Pence, and yes, me. More friends from primary school. This group is very interconnected. It's almost as bad as a maze!

Well, Hayner and the gang have a hatred for Seifer, the school bully. If Riku was the king, he was the torturer. His gang of Rai and Fuu are intimidating, although Rai isn't the smartest guy on the block... So they receive what's called 'special treatment' and have become near outcasts. It's a sad fate, that. The general student body ignores you and doesn't want to be associated with you, for fear of Seifer.

Then there's Terra and Aqua. Terra is the star athlete of the school, but shies away from the popularity normally associated with it, while Aqua received the highest marks in the year out of anyone. She could have stopped her schooling last year, but she didn't want to leave all of her friends. They're both nice kids, but I've never really got to know them.

All these kids and more I saw on our school bus. Ven pulled up his hoodie and plugged his music in. I wonder why he's so detached. I guess he'll just need to make some friends soon.

Sometimes, I just feel like I've got it all. Then I look at Ven. I long for his ability to shrug things off, his ability to live a little. He just doesn't care what the world thinks. And I really want to do that. Be me, and not give a damn what the world thinks.

I feel like I've won a lottery. Everything is going my way. It all appears to be perfect. But it can't be. Not after what he said to me…

Well, the first few classes fly by and lunch arrives. For some, it couldn't be soon enough. For me, it's just another part of the day. I see Ven look around, pull up his hoodie, and sit in the corner. Does he know that that's normally where Seifer sits? I'll have to watch out for him. This could get ugly.

"Hey Roxas! Over here!" I hear Xion calling for me as I stare off into space. I turn and there she is, surrounded by all my friends. I smile and walk over. I hear girls silence themselves from their gossip just to look at me. Even after all these years of it, I still don't get it.

"Roxas" I turn to see Riku, the king, speaking to me. "Planning on usurping me this year?" I don't know why he says that. He was sick for a week and when he came back I was supposedly the 'king'. Sure, it was nice to have all the attention, but…

"Nah, Riku. Got bigger fish to fry.' This earns me a few laughs and brownie points from my friends. Even Riku laughs a little. I then turn and head to a seat, between Xion and Namine

"So Roxas, how are you?" I hear Namine whisper from the seat next to me. She's never been great at speaking out.

"Well thanks, Nam" I reply, seeing that all of sudden, everyone is looking at me. This is strange. I never get THIS much attention. "What? Was it something I said?" I ask, confused at the looks I'm getting.

"Who's Aqua and Terra speaking too? On Seifer's table." I hear Sora pipe up. Uh. Give me a break, Sora. You're so obnoxious. I don't know why I am friend's with you.

"Yeah, Roxas, who is that?" I hear Kairi ask. She's got a thing for Sora. Not that she'd ever admit it, though. Only Sora doesn't seem to know. What a fool.

They all ask me because I always know what's going on. It's why I'm so popular. I seem to know everything and anything that goes on here. But this is one question I won't answer. Not to them. Not to anybody. Ven specifically asked me not to tell anyone who he is. He wants to remain incognito, and I'm not going to deny him that.

"Sorry guys, I don't think I know him. He's new here." Everyone's head drops at the thought of this. They were hoping for something juicy. And it is. Which is why I'm not telling.

"I think I saw him earlier… in Science." Sora piped up again. Just shut up Sora. One more word and I'm going to knock you straight through Hell and back.

"Yeah, I saw him too." Now Vanitas pipes up. I think he already knows who it is, but he wants to watch me squirm for a bit. He's an alright kid, though, Vanitas, just doesn't get along well with Ven. But then again, nobody gets along well with Ven these days. At least not who I know of. But Aqua and Terra seem to be breaking his shell. I should watch them closely. They're getting closer than I have as of late…

Namine and Xion seemed to notice me staring off into space, and tried to bring me back into reality. Xion was far more aggressive about it, so I noticed her first. "Roxas… Hey, Roxas…" she said, snapping her fingers in front of my space. I was dazed, and that seemed to do the trick.

'Huh… what?" I snapped back into the here and now. I realised how out of it I was, and decided to wake myself up. "So, anything happen over the weekend?"

Lunch ended too quickly for me. I love socialising. I'm a social juggernaut. I blog online, and the amount of comments I get is astounding. Some from friends, some students, and even the occasional teacher! (Ienzo is the most tech savvy of the teachers, so I speak to him a lot.) I hole myself up in my room every couple of nights to give my view on the recent events of school. Ven just listens to his music. He's always on that thing…

But in the end, we've never really ever been on what I'd call 'great' terms. We have always respected each other, and even been pretty close at one stage, but now we seem to avoid each other. I'm not sure what to do. If I got seen with him in school, it could be disastrous. What would the others think if they realised I was keeping a secret as big as this from them? What would happen to Ven? I know how he doesn't like this life, so why thrust it upon him?

Well, we both seem to enjoy our lives, so we never really bothered much with each other. But you know. Sometimes I wonder…

Classes go by quickly as well. The day went quicker than I would have liked, but oh well. As I was walking to my locker, I saw Ven running down the hall. I turned and saw who he was talking to. The other newish kid. Never really spoken to him. No one really speaks to him, not after his encounter with Seifer in the ring. Looks like I have some interesting conversations to have with Ven soon.

We walked to the bus stop separately. We always have. But we met up there, and acknowledged each other's existence. He got on, took a seat, and I followed him to that seat. He looked up, confused, and took his headphones out of his ear. "So Ven" I said to him. "How was your day?"

_**Armyx: Well, that's the end of the first chapter! Whew, that was a doozy! I've never written a chapter this long before! But I'm still waiting for Ven… where is he?**_

_***Mysterious Voice*: Hang on! Don't finish without me!**_

_**Armyx: *Turns around and spots Ven running up* Ven! How are you?**_

_**Ven: *puts up hand and pants* I'm… huff… good… puff**_

_**Armyx:So yeah, I hope you enjoyed, and Ven's gonna stick around for a while.**_

_**Ven: Yeah, see you soon! Oh wait, you forgot something**_

_**Armyx: Yeah? What?**_

_**Ven: Armyx told me to tell you while you were reading that OC's would be much appreciated! Just a name, attitude, appearance and that will do, and he'll try and fit them in the next chapter.**_

_**Armyx: Oh yeah! Thanks Ven! So please, tell me what you liked, what you didn't, anything you want to change or whatever in a review, and I'll keep writing if you keep reading!**_


End file.
